Thermal insulating article



De 10, 1935. E. H WELLS. JR

THERMAL INSULATING ARTICLE Filed Sept. 2, 1933 INVENTOR Edward H I VllgJn BY ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THERMAL INSULATING ARTICLE Edward H. Wells, Jr., New York, N. Y., assignor to J ohns-Manville Corporation,

New York,

This invention relates to thermal insulation and particularly to a tapered tubular article adapted to be engaged snugly over the" nozzle of a fire hose and provided with means for preventing wetting of the insulation by water escaping from the nozzle.

Thereis considerable use of hot water in extinguishing fires. Thus, switch engines are frequently equipped with a hose for spraying water from the boiler upon fires that may occur in railway yards. There has been anobvious need of a satisfactory insulation for the nozzle of the fire hose, to make possible comfortable and safe handling thereof. Heretofore there has been used insulated handles on the nozzle or insulation, in the form of cloth or the like, wrapped around the nozzle. Such insulation may be wetted by water accidently falling thereupon or may become disengaged, at a critical time, and :10 introduce danger of scalding the operator. Neither expedient has been entirely satisfactory.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a nozzle cover overcoming the disadvantages mentioned. A further object is to provide a cover 25 that fits snugly over the nozzle, is protected against being wetted by the fluid being sprayed, and is provided with means at either end for minimizing the entrance of water between the cover and the nozzle. A further object is to pro- 30 vide a cover that extends over irregularities in the nozzle or coupling therefor and reduces the efiect of such irregularities in wearing through sections of hose that, when not in use, would otherwise be in contact with the said irregularities. Other objects and advantages will appear from the detailed description that follows and from the appended claims.

The-invention is illustrated in the attached drawing in which I 40 Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a nozzle and a part of the coupling attached thereto, with the improved thermal insulating cover in place;

Fig. 2 shows a cross sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 shows a cross sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, in the direction of the arrows.

There is shown a nozzle I for conveying hot fluids, suitably the nozzle of a fire hose, and at- 50 tached thereto a coupling 2. The nozzle and the coupling are of conventional materials, as, for example brass or cast steel. The nozzle is provided with a flared portion 3 at its forward end. The coupling has projections 4, such as lugs, ex- 55 tending from its outer surface and adapted to be engaged by wrenches'that are commonly used for engaging or disengaging the coupling, at one end, in the nozzle and, at the other end, in the hose (not shown).

Disposed around the nozzle and extending over 5 the projections 4 is the thermal insulating-article 0f the present invention.v This article comprises a fibrous filling-5, that advantageously consists of fire-resistant fibers of low thermal conductance, such as asbestosfibers, enclosed within an ap- 10 proximately tubular case, as. for example, a tapered tubular, double-walled or hollow-walled casing member including the exterior or outer element 6 and the interior element I joined together, at one end, as by the stitching 8 and, at 15 the opposite larger end of the tube, by thecircumferential stitching 9. Beyond the stitching 9 and extending to the end of the enlarged portion of the covering, the fibrous filling is suitably omitted,

to form a thin-walled portion adapted to be drawn over the projections on the coupling and then to be constricted and held securely against the coupling, by means of the strap I0 which encircles the gauntlet at this point and is tightened by means of the buckle H. The fibrous filling preferably is made repellent to the fluid which is to be sprayed from the nozzle, by the application to the fibers of a coating that is repellent to or has negative capillarity for the fluid. Thus, when the fluid to be sprayed is water, the fibers may be made repellent thereto by a thin coating of a material ofnegative capillarity for water, as for example, a thinlcoating of a Water-impermeable wax, aluminum stearate, or zinc stearate coated upon the fibers and continuously coalesced thereover. I

The casing elements} and 1 forming, respectively, the exterior and interior walls of the casing that encloses the fibers, for best results, are formed of a fiexible,'yiel-dable,' textile fabric, such 40 as cloth woven of asbestos yarn. To prevent the wetting of the fabric'by the fluid issuing from the nozzle, when the nozzle is in use, and the subsequent penetration of'the fluid into the interior of the insulating covering, the elements 6 and 1. particularly the exterior 6, may be coated with a material that is impermeable or repellent to the fluid. Thus, for a fire nozzle for use with boiling water, the coating maybe one of unvulcanized rubber, incompletely polymerized, pliable chloroprene, or other water-insoluble and water-impermeable material of properties resembling those oi. rubber. This coating material is suitably one that not only makes the exterior impermeableto the liquid being sprayed but also is elastic and adapts the covering to be stretched, while being drawn over the nozzle, and, finally, to fit snugly therearound. Thus, the smaller end of the tapered tubular cover may be constricted and drawn To minimize shifting of the fibrous filling material within the casing, the article may be quilted or tufted at intervals as indicated at positions I l. Preferably, quilting means comprising short strands of asbestos yarn or the like of low thermal conductance are inserted completely through the outer and. inner casings and through the fibrous fillingtherebetween andtied in position in a convenient manner.

. In one method of making an article of thetype described, a sheet of asbestos fabric of suitable width and length to comprisethe outermember 6 is laid on a table and a layer of fibrous material adapted to form the filling 5 in the finished article is laid over the fabric. Then a fabric of suitable size and shape to compose the inner casing 7 is laid over the asbestos fibers and is stitched at positions 8, 9, and I2, in a direction that is transverse to the length of thearticle. It may also be stitched along its side edges to the member 6, suitably ashort distance from the side edges of the said member.- The structure is then quilted at positions .ll. Then the composite is shaped into tapered tubular form, and is stitched lengthwise, at position l3, to hold the abutting longitudinaledges of the fabric together.

After the stitching is done, the article may be dipped in a bath of fluid-proofing material, such as a solution of rubber in a volatile solvent, say, in a socalled rubber cement". In this manner, the rubber is coated notonly over the fabric itself but also over all joints andstitches, to give thorough sealing against the penetration of water. In making this dipping, the ends of the tube may be sealed, if the inside is not to be coated. Or, thecoating may be applied bymeans of a brush. The coating should extend, in any case, a short distance into the small end of the tube as well as over the front (small end) and over the outside or exterior surface. After the coating is made, volatile liquid present in the coating solution is evaporated, It is not desirable to harden the coating composition, as by vulcanization when rubber is used, inasmuch as the flexibility, pliability,.and elasticity of unvulcanized rubber arepreferred to theproperties of vulcanized rubber. Finally, the strap I is secured to the end of the gauntlet, as by being stitched thereto as illustrated. I

The size of the cover should be such as to require very slight stretching when drawn over the nozzle, in order that the final fit may be tight.

Inasmuch as the lugs or projections 4 on the coupling are ordinarily in contact with the hose, when the hose is stored in spirallywound condition, asis the custom on switch engines, the cover extending over these lugs providesa cushioning effect that protects the hose from being gradually worn through by the lugs. Also, the

lugs and the gauntlet drawn thereover and then constricted, as by means of the strap ID, at a position behind the lugs, secure the cover, conveniently, in fixed position with respect to the nozzle and minimize the likelihood of disengagement of the cover from the nozzle during use.

It will be seen that, to minimize wetting, the 5 cover is made somewhat shorter than the nozzle and the front end of the cover is disposed rearwardly with respect to the flare 3 of the nozzle.

The details that have been given are for the purpose of illustration, not restriction, and varia- 1o tions therefrom may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

7 What I claim is:

l.' A thermal insulating cover, adapted for use over a nozzle for conveying hot fluid, comprising a thick, main portion of approximately tubular shape adapted to fit over the nozzle, a layer of thermal insulating fibers constituting a filling in the said main portion, afiexible case enclosing the-fibers, an exterior of the case that is impermeable .to the fluid to be conveyed, and means for minimizing shifting of fibers within the case.

2. A thermal insulating cover, adapted for use over a nozzle for conveying hot fluid, compris ing a thick, main portionof approximately tubular shape adapted to fltover the nozzle, a layer of thermal insulating fibers constituting a filling in the said mainportion, a flexible case'enclosing the fibers, an exterior of the case that is impermeable to the fluid to be conveyed, a thinwalled portion extending from an end of the main portion, and means securing the thin-walled portion in fixed position with respect to the nozzle. to prevent disengagement of the cover from the nozzle.

3. Athermal insulating cover, adapted for use over a nozzle for. conveying a hot fluid, comprising a thick, main portion of tapered tubular shape adapted to fit over the nozzle, a layer of 40 thermal insulating fibers constituting a filling in the said main portion, a flexible case enclosing the fibers, an exterior of the case that is impermeable to the fluid to be conveyed, a thinwalled portion extending from an end of the main portion, and means attached to and encircling the said thin-walled portion for securing it in fixed position with respect to the nozzle.

4. An article as described, in claim 1 including a material, adapted to render the case impermeable to the fiuid to be conveyed, disposed over all parts of the case enclosing the fibers, whereby penetration of fluid is prevented.-

5. An article as described in claim 1 including a materiaLadapted to render the thermal insulating fibers repellent to the fluid to be conveyed, coated upon the said fibers.

6. A thermal insulating cover, adapted for use over a nozzle for conveying a hot fluid, comprising a thick, main portion of tapered tubular shape adapted to fit over the nozzle, a layer of thermal insulating fibers constituting a filling in the said main portion, a flexible case enclosing the fibers, an exterior of the case that is impermeable to the fluid to be conveyed, a thinwalled portion extending from an end of the main portion, means encircling the said thin-walled portion for securing it in position with respect to the nozzle, and means for drawing the small end of the tapered cover tightly against the small end of the nozzle.

EDWARD H. WELLS, JR. 

